Latch for adjustable back chairs



/ Jan. 10, 1950 P. H. MERSINGER r LATCH FOR ADJUSTABLE BACK CHAIRS Filed April 26, 1947 INVENTOR PETER H. MERSINGER ATTORNEY- Patented Jan. 10, 1950 STATES PATENT" OFFICE q r 2454345 4 4- ns'rcnron ADJUSTABLEIBACK 01mins Peter H; Mcrsingen, St. Louis,.Mo., assignor to National; Machine Company. Sin-Louis, M0, a corporation t Missouri Application April 26, 1947, Serial'No. 744,207

' In the drawings- Fig. 1: illustrates the seatand backof a chair equipped with my latch, showing the latch as it appears with the chair back in normaF sitting position mn lines, and in dash lines when the chair-backisin tilted position. Figiz is an enlarged cross sectional view, partlybroken away, also showing the latch as it ap pears-withthe chair back in normal position in talk-lines, and in dash lines when the chair bac-lr isin tilted position;

- Fig; 3c is a view taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2,'illushating the latching-mechanism. 1 l il ig. 4* 1818; View taken on line 4--4, Fig; 2;i1lustinting the means for operating the latching mechanism I Fig; a perspective view showing the wedge faces on the slidable element of the latch.

.'-=Theinvention includes the latch itself and means associated therewith for operating it, and ior convenience inpreparingthis application I have illustrated and will describethe invention in engagement with a chair, which includes the usualseat. A, back B, arms G; and aframe D connecting said back and arms. 7? i=1 first describe the. latch itself, which comprises a U-shaped housing I having" atop closure 2 which'is rigidly secured to the underside of the arm C of the chair, and pivotally secured to the frame D, as at E. An inverted Li -shaped; member 3 is longitudinally slidable within the housing I, and is so, positioned vthat its upper, curved and 4 contacts the closure 2, while its sides 5 depend vertically to a point about midway of the housing i. From thepoint 6 the; inverted U-shaped member 3 is reduced, so that at its rear-most end" it is of smaller diameter than at its forward end, as will be most easily understood from a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4 in which this member is clearly seen. Beginning at the point 1 the inverted U-shaped member has a peculiarly shaped portion 8, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The housing I is of approximately the length as the arm of the 1 4-. Claims. (01.. 155-159,)

2 chair to which it is attached, but the inverte u-shape'd member 3 is considerably longer and extends rearwardly beyond the. chair arm, being secured to the chair back B by a rotatable shaft 9 At the forward portion of the inverted U- shaped member 3, its sides. 5 are cut diagonal-1y as shown in dash lines at 10 in Fig. 2,

Extending forwardly from the point 6, an elongated member tls is positioned within the invertedl J shaped member 3, and the member H i'SSiiiT0uHdB@'by ar coil spring t2. Aball I3. is positioned" adjacent the forward end of saidspring; said ballbeingof such diameter that it eiitends a slight distance between the vertical sides 5 of the inverted u-s haped member '3, in such'mannerthat the. spring i2 acts to wedge said-"ballrightly'between saidi sides 5, where it is held in gripping engagement.

A rod l4 extends from the front of the inverted U-shaped member 3 rearwardly to the chair back, said rod being partly within. and partly outside ofsaid member and. being slidable therewith, At its forward end the rod has a downturned. hook 15 against which the ball I3 abuts (Fig. 2) and said rod is slidable; with respect to the housinc 1'.

I will now proceed to the means for operating thel'atch above described; v

A circular element 3 is mounted on the shaft 8*, and said circular element is provided with a central cut-out portion H so that the element l6. includes a horizontal upper portion l8 and a pair of vertical wings 19 extending downwardly therefrom in such a manner that the peculiarly shaped portion 8 previously referred to is posi tioned between the vertical wings [9. A screw zflgconnecm the element 16 with the shaft 9 so. that said. element is rotatable with said shaft,

and for facilitating rotation of these parts I pro-- 7 Vififi .8; rnSping-handleZ-l which is screwed into the-element-SB as at 2-2, A U-shaped member 23 is- .rigidlysecured between the wings. t9by a pimugand the; rod l4. rigidly held in screwthreaded ,onsasenicnt.- with said member 2-3, as shownat, 25, so that the member 23 and the; rod 14.: aremovable upon; rot on of, the, element 6.. 1 In; onerationthezprocedurei as follows:

Suppose the. cha r isain normal sitt ngposition, as shown in full lines in the drawings, and is to be moved to the tilted position shown in dash lines. The handle 2| is grasped by the operator and moved forwardly, as shown by dash lines in Fig. 2; thus rotating the circular element ill with the shaft 9. This rotation of the element l6 has the effect of moving the U-shaped element '23 to the position shown in dash lines, which draws the rod 14 in a backward direction through its connection with said element 23. As the rod I4 is drawn backwards, its hook l4 draws the ball l3 back with it against the coil spring [2 until said ball rests against the elongated member H, as shown in dash lines in Fig. 2, so that the ball is drawn out of gripping engagement between the diagonally cut portion ID of the sides 5 of the inverted U-shaped member 3, and consequently the latch is in unlocked position.

The operator now draws the chair back rearwardly to the degree at which he wishes it to be tilted, while continuing to hold the handle 2| in its forward position. When the chair back has been placed at the desired angle, he releases the handle 2| and consequently the circular element l6 and the rod 14, whereupon the action of the coil spring 12 against the ball l3 pushes said ball forward into its original gripping engagement between the diagonally cutfportions H) of the sides 5 of the member 3, and said ball carries with it the hook [5 to its original position. The gripping engagement between the ball and the member 3 is now again operative to lock the parts in position against slipping, with the chair back in the tilted position shown in the dash lines. 1

While I have described this invention as being applied to one arm of a chair, it is to be understood that a pair of the chair latches will-be used, one on each arm of the chair, and the operator will stand behind the chair so that he can grasp both of the handles 2| simultaneously.

The same procedure as described above for tilting the chair backwards will be followed when it is to be returned to its normal, upright position.

I claim:

1. A chair latch in engagement with an'ad justable chair and comprising an elongated, hollow, normally horizontal member secured to the arm of said normally horizontal chair and an element slidable within said member and secured to the pivoted back of said chair, means associated with the back of said chair for instituting sliding motion of said slidableelement, a spherical spring-controlled part in gripping engagement with wedge faces on said slidable element and a rod having a downward hooked end portion within said slidable element for moving said spherical spring controlled part out of such gripping engagement to permit adjustment ofthe back of said chair, said rod also being associated with and movable by the means on said chair back for institutin sliding movement of said slidable element, said gripping engagement being defective to hold the back of said chair in adjusted position.

2. A chair latch in engagement with an adjustable chair and comprising an elongated, normally horizontal housing secured tothe arm of said chair and an element slidable within said housing and secured to the pivoted back of said hooked end portion within said slidable element and rigidly secured to said rotatable means, a spherical spring-controlled part in gripping engagement with wedge faces on said slidable element and in contact with said rod and adapted to be released from such gripping engagement upon rotation of said rotatable means simultaneously with the sliding of said, slidable element to permit adjustment of the back of said chair, said gripping engagement being effective to hold the back of said chair in adjusted position.

3. A chair latch in engagement with an adjustable chair and comprising an elongated, normally horizontal housing secured to the arm of I said chair and an element slidable within said chair, means rotatably mounted on the back 01 said chair and rigidly associated with saldslid able element for instituting sliding movement of said slidable element, a rod having-a downward housing and secured to the pivoted back of said chair, means rotatabiy mounted on the back of said chair and rigidly associated with said slidable element for instituting sliding movement of said slidable element, a rod having a downward hooked end portion and being positioned within said slidable element and rigidly secured toy-said rotatable means, a spherical spring-controlled part in gripping engagement with wedge-faces on said slidable element and in contact with said rod and adapted to be drawn out of such gripping engagement by the downward hooked end portion of said rod upon rotation of said rotatable means simultaneously with the sliding of-said slidable element to permit adjustment ofv the back of said chair, said gripping engagement bein efiective to hold the back of said chair in adjusted position. p 1 4. A chair latch in engagement with an adjustable chair and comprising an elongated, normally horizontal housing secured to the, arm of said chair and an inverted U-shaped' element slidable within said housing and secured to the pivoted back of said chair, a rotatable shaft secured to the back of said chair and means mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith and rigidly associated with said inverted U-shaped element for instituting sliding movement of said element upon rotation of said shaft, a rod provided with a downward hooked end portion and being positioned within said invertednu= shaped element and rigidly secured to saidrotatable means, a spring-controlled ball in gripping engagement with the legs of said inverted U-shaped element and adapted'to be drawn out of such gripping engagement by said downward hooked end portion upon rotation of said shaft simultaneously with the sliding of the inverted U-'- shaped element to permit adjustment of the back of said chair, said gripping engagement being effective to hold the back of said chair in adjusted position.

PETER H. MERSINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of' record lnthe file of this patent:

UNITED ,s're'rns PATENTS 1 Name 1,271,635 Walton July 9, 1918 

